


the bigger the heart, the harder the loss

by zumukaki



Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst with a Happy Ending, Boys In Love, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Kings & Queens, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Princes & Princesses, Royalty, Slow Burn, Trans Galo Thymos, Trans Lio Fotia, galo has two moms & one is trans, it's MY promare fic and I get to choose the lgbt headcanons!!!, lio has two dads & he's adopted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26296291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zumukaki/pseuds/zumukaki
Summary: They bring out only the best in one another; Galo helps Lio, and Lio helps Galo.
Relationships: Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. prologue — the kingdoms

**Author's Note:**

> a commission for a friend on twitter!  
> she literally said "write whatever you want, however you long you want, and make it promare" and i went buck fuckin wild

Ardere and Salutaris; two neighboring kingdoms with a deep respect for one another. Having been allies for decades, it is no surprise that both of the royal families are close, viewing each other as extended family. Kings, queens, princes, princesses, and even the royal guards have always been attached to each other as if they were blood related, which turned out to be something their citizens enjoyed. For them, it meant they could feel comfortable and safe while away from home, it meant they could travel between Ardere and Salutaris freely without having to fear being treated differently. Peace reigned over the two kingdoms, and there hadn’t been any troubles since their founding.

The two princes, Galo of Salutaris and Lio of Ardere, are rumored to be the closest the royal families have ever seen. Since birth, the two young men were hard to keep apart. They always held hands or linked arms wherever they went as boys, and somehow managed to get scolded by their parents at least twice a week. As teenagers the trouble decreased, they started to see each other less (they still had princely duties after all), and were only able to communicate through letters for a time, it was difficult to deal with for both young men. As they began to come of age, they saw each other more and more until it became a habit for one prince to stay with another for weeks at a time. Through all the time apart, through the lessons and difficulties, nothing ever changed their bond with one another — a deep friendship that could never be broken.

They bring out only the best in one another; Galo helps Lio, and Lio helps Galo.


	2. chapter 1 — surprise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _**Galo missed Lio, Galo missed Lio so goddamn much that he felt his chest physically tighten and ache. Lio would know what to do with his emotions, the worry, the fear; he knew Galo better than anyone else ever has and would be the only person to understand the chaos Galo is feeling.** _

Galo sighed as he slipped down into the warm, bubbly water of his bathtub, filled to the brim. It was hardly past noon and he’d felt as though he’d already had a full day; he was ready to finish the rest of his grueling tasks, eat, and go straight to bed. Fortunately, he had enough time in between the gaps in his schedule to relax only if it was for a moment. 

That morning, he trained, sparred, and rode with Ignis, Varys, and Aina, then was hauled immediately to the archives to study his kingdom's history, in detail, with Remi, and right after that Lucia had given him a rather… torturous lesson about battle strategies and how to break through the heart of an enemy army (though it was rare that should happen). After hours of fighting, studying, riding horses, and just about using the maximum capacity of his brain, he finally got to take a break. Galo felt lucky that Aina was kind enough to stall for him so that he may have extra time to himself even if it were only for a few more minutes. 

The hot water helped ease knots in his sore muscles and melt away the stress clinging to his back. Jasmine, mint, and orange blossoms from the palace garden had been added to the water for their healing properties and Galo felt himself nodding off from the aroma alone. It was nice, and he finally felt truly calm for the first time in weeks. Being a prince wasn’t the easiest job there was but he had expectations to fulfill for his mothers, the queens, for the people of his kingdom, and for Lio. On top of that, he knew he had a privilege that others didn’t when it came to being literal royalty, and he wanted to use his power as best as he could!

Just when Galo let his eyes slip shut, three gentle knocks sounded from the other side of the door. It must’ve been Aina ready to come in to tell him his time was up. Galo let out another sigh and dunked his head under the water one last time before stepping out to dry off. 

“ _You can come in, Aina._ ” He called. He turned his back towards the opening door to pat his hair dry. “ _You’ve seen me like this over a thousand times, you shouldn’t have to knock anymore._ ” Galo chuckled. Aina let out a huff.

“ _I am not allowed to barge in on the prince, Galo._ ” She crossed her arms over her uniformed chest. “ _And before you say it again: I **know** you trust me with your life and I **know** you’re more comfortable with me because you were once a girl, but I am your guard before I am your friend!_” She continued to lecture the prince but her words reached no one as he tuned out the speech he's heard time and time before.

Galo laughed again when Aina had finished her tangent, speaking before she could go on another one, “ _At least you’re calling me by my name now._ ” There was a winning smirk shot her way. 

“ _Ugh- just- Shut up! The Queen wants to see you. Go to her room when you’re done getting dressed._ ” She ordered. “ _And hurry up!_ ” 

Now that was something that piqued Galo’s interest. There hadn’t been much time in the day where he got to speak with one of his mothers without it being related to Salutaris or Ardere; he couldn’t help but think of the possibilities of what she could tell him today. He only hoped it was good news, honestly. 

" _You never said which one, Aina._ ” Galo said teasingly. “ _Do I have to guess and get lost in the castle again?_ ”

“ _That was one time! You big baby, this place isn’t even that hard to get lost in._ ” She rolled her eyes and leaned against the door, looking away to give Galo at least a bit of privacy. “ _Queen Lorelei. Queen Amelia is away on business today. I’ll take you to her, don’t worry._ ” 

Galo didn’t feel the need to reply, so he gave her a single nod, and that was that. 

After he’d dried off, he was given a loose white mock and a pair of black trousers to wear for the time being. His shining blue hair, still damp, had been swiftly braided by Aina herself; she mentioned something about it being the best fishtail she’s done, that she wanted to show her sister later. Galo simply laughed it off but promised her nonetheless. He assumed he would have to return to his room to change once more into his princely garments, but it seemed he was wrong. Aina had led him straight to Queen Lorelei’s bedroom door.

Okay, now Galo started getting worried. Was she injured? Did she suddenly get sick? He did hear a rumor floating around the market that there was some new illness that could become lethal if it wasn’t caught in time. His poor heart pounded so hard, he felt it throughout his entire body. With shaky hands, he tapped the door before letting himself in.  
Instantly, Galo was at his mother’s side with a whirlwind of questions. The prince was speaking faster than he could think.

“ _Mother, are you alright? You’re not hurt are you? Or sick? Or were you harassed by that stupid Duke again? Oh! I will go fight him myself if I have to-!!_ ” 

Lorelei cut off Galo by pinching his cheek. “ _You know your maman wouldn’t let me be here on my own if that were the case! Silly boy, you are just like her. Always worrying._ ” She tutted, then gestured for him to sit down. “ _Nothing is wrong, my dear. In fact, this is the best I have ever felt since you were born._ ” 

That finally settled Galo’s nerves and he let out a dramatic sigh. 

“ _You scare me too much!_ ” He flopped down on his stomach beside her. “ _But it’s a relief to know that you are well._ ” The feeling of her nimble fingers petting his hairline soothed him. 

Galo sat up once more, there was something he knew she needed to tell him and the subject has yet to come up. But, the more he stared at his mother, meeting the oceanic blue eyes that matched his own, he knew something was… _different_ about her. Not bad, just different. It took him a moment to find his words again. 

“ _Mother, you’re glowing._ ” The prince hummed. Lorelei’s gentle smile grew wide enough to reach both of her ears and she placed a hand over her stomach. Galo felt something click. “ _Mother! You’re glowing!!_ ” He exclaimed more excitedly. He bounced in her bed to grab her hands. “ _Say it! Tell me the news!_ ” 

Lorelei couldn’t help but start laughing at how animated her son was becoming. She tucked a brown curl behind her ear, and leaned over to place one of her hands on his cheek. 

“ _Galo, I’m pregnant._ ” 

“ _You’re pregnant!!_ ” He repeated cheerfully. “ _Since when? Does maman know? Is it a boy or a girl?_ ” Yet another whirlwind of questions.

“ _Of course she knows! She was the first to know, and you’re the second so you’re not allowed to tell anyone else yet._ ” She playfully pinched his lips shut. “ _We don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl yet, but we will soon._ ” She hummed. 

Galo hugged her close and pressed over exaggerated kisses to her cheeks. He thought about how she said he couldn’t tell anyone yet, and that was fine, but he really really wished he was allowed to ride over to Ardere to deliver the news to Lio himself. Oh, how wonderful that would be! Galo would get to see Lio; see his typically stoic features break into the gorgeous smile he absolutely adores, and he would see the thrilled sparkle in Lio’s crystalline eyes. Perhaps, with such great news, that would give Galo the extra push and courage to finally confess. His heart jumped at the thought. Perhaps, he shouldn’t get too far ahead of himself.

“ _Ah. I know that look. You want to tell Lio, don’t you?_ ” Lorelei piped up.

A strangled noise of embarrassment escaped him. But, he nodded. 

“ _You can. He’s someone I trust to keep it a secret until we’re ready to announce it publicly._ ” Again, her gentle smile returned and she caressed her son's cheek. “ _You have to wait until next week though. I’m going to Fallax and I’ll take you to Lio on the way._ ” 

“ _The Kingdom of Fallax? That’s two kingdoms down from Ardere right?_ ” Galo asked, sitting up. Lorelei hummed in agreement. 

He didn’t feel right about that, his gut told him that she needed to stay home. There was a feeling deep within his soul that put him on edge. And Galo was always one to trust his instincts and intuition over his own logic, well, when he did apply logic to a situation that is. He’s the type to move first, and ask questions later. So, when he felt a dark pit in the bottom of his stomach, he wanted to hold off on the visit. Then again… it could be the anxiety of letting her do too much while pregnant, so he brushed it off as best as he could for now.

“ _What for_?” He asked.

“ _The Queen wanted to have tea. I think she wants to make amends of what our pasts have been like, and I want to give her that chance. You know our histories haven’t been the greatest, but I know we can all do better._ ” Lorelei explained. 

Galo always thought Lorelei was too nice of a woman for her own good, that’s why her and Amelia make a great couple, that woman was so stubborn it put a bull to shame. Where Lorelei was patient, kind, and empathetic, Amelia was headstrong, rough, and feisty. Opposites attract, after all.

“ _I understand._ ” Was all he could say. 

Galo briefly remembered Remi’s lesson earlier that day; Fallax has always been cursed with cruel and wicked kings. There was never anything good to recall in regards to that kingdom, nor in how they treated other countries nearby, as unfortunate as it seemed. This made him all the more fearful for his mother. For a moment, he thought about going with her just in case, or sending a few extra guards. He kept these thoughts to himself, and again, brushed off the feeling as unnecessary worry.

—

At the end of the day, Galo finally found himself lying down in bed with a swarm of emotions crashing over him. On one hand, he was extremely happy with the news his mother had given him earlier, and he was excited to know whether he was going to have a baby brother or baby sister; it made him smile just thinking about a little baby bundle he’d be able to hold and cherish and protect! On the other hand… Galo wasn’t as trusting of Fallax as his mother, especially given that their current king, Kray Foresight, is one of the worst in the kingdom's history. Kray was known to be the type of person who puts on a facade, a mask, of a kind person who cares for his citizens but secretly rules in a way that’s directly beneficial to himself. And only himself.  
Salutaris was once acquainted well with Fallax until Kray decided to betray some sort of peace treaty they had. Galo was just a baby at the time so he doesn’t remember much, really. 

Whenever Galo thought about his mother traveling all the way to Fallax on her own, there was that same dark and sinking feeling at the base of his stomach. As much as he wanted to see Lio, he wanted to be with his mother to protect her just in case. Maybe he should send a few extra guards with her after all. With all of these thoughts and emotions and turmoil happening within him, Galo found it increasingly harder to relax that night. He wished Lio was there with him so they could talk out the situation, and maybe even sneak a hug or two in there. It had been too long since they'd last seen each other.

And now that Galo’s mind had shifted to Lio, he was all the prince could think about. A deep sigh escaped the young man. Now, all of his emotions were replaced with longing for the one that captured his heart. He tossed, turned, and rolled around his bed until he finally had had enough of feeling restless; he dramatically threw his covers off of himself to swing his legs around and let them hang off the edge. Blue hair fell into his eyes, and he raked his fingers through it to push it away, but it only fell back into the same place. Sometimes having hair that naturally sticks out in every direction was a pain in the ass, and it did nothing to aid his rising agitation. 

Galo missed Lio, Galo missed Lio so goddamn much that he felt his chest physically tighten and ache. Lio would know what to do with his emotions, the worry, the fear; he knew Galo better than anyone else ever has and would be the only person to understand the chaos Galo is feeling.

The fact that he couldn’t go out to see Lio in the dead of night made him grumble to himself and wiped his hands down his face in frustration. Tonight was rough for absolutely no reason and it was Galo’s own fault for not being able to settle himself. He couldn’t help it! And that’s why Lio was the best person to go to whenever he felt like this! 

“ _This should be against the law._ ” Galo whined to himself.

He slipped off of his bed to cross his room and open the doors leading out to his personal balcony. His room wasn’t that high up from the ground which meant he got the perfect view of the castle’s garden and he felt nostalgic to when he was a child. Not in a bad way, but he did miss not having responsibilities and running around playing knights with Lio.

Galo leaned his forearms against the railing before leaning down to rest his chin on top of his arms. The night air was cool and the feeling of the breeze on his skin helped the bubbling frustration calm. Inhale, exhale, inhale again, exhale again… Galo focused on the ins and outs of his breathing, not realizing there was a rustling coming from the bushes underneath him. What did catch his attention, however, was a light flick against his cheek. 

“ _You didn’t fall asleep out here did you?_ ” A familiar voice asked. Galo’s eyes flew open when he noticed who it was.

“ _Lio!_ ” He gasped. “How did you-” He was about to ask how Lio got up there, but cut himself short when he noticed Lio himself was covered in dirt and was panting a bit. Galo put two and two together easily. “ _You should stop scaling the castle just to get up here._ ” He sighed, knowing full Lio would do this yet again in the future.

“ _I haven’t been caught yet._ ” Lio said with a mischievous smile. “ _Plus, I had help this time._ ” He hummed, pointing to a guard keeping watch down below. 

Galo snorted out a laugh. “ _Thank you, Gueira._ ” He waved both of his arms over his head excitedly, almost forgetting why he was so upset when he first went out there. Almost.

“ _Shh! Just go inside before you get caught!_ ” Gueira whisper-yelled back, but waved nonetheless.

Lio wasted no time in grabbing both of Galo’s hands to drag him back into his room. In an instant they were both in a tight, warm embrace and Galo felt his stress evaporate like steam. He nestled his face into Lio’s neck while the latter pressed a loving hand to the back of his head. The princes stood there for a few minutes until Lio finally pulled them apart to get a good look at Galo’s face. Galo, as happy as he was to see his best friend again, couldn’t bring himself to fully pull away just yet. So, he rested his forehead against Lio’s.

“ _What’s wrong?_ ” Lio whispered. He reached up to cup Galo’s cheek and gingerly stroked a dark circle under his eye. “ _You look so tired._ ” Lio sounded sad as he said that, and it made Galo’s heart squeeze. 

“ _It’s… a lot._ ” Galo mumbled. “ _I’ll tell you, I promise, but- can we just- can you…_ ” He was struggling to pull himself together now that he felt he was allowed to show his emotions.

Lio knew what Galo needed. He nodded and grabbed Galo’s hands once more, leading him to the bed. There, Lio lied down then tapped his chest with one hand while the other reached out. Galo immediately crawled over to his friend and let his head flop down on his chest, finding the rhythm of Lio’s heartbeat soothing. He sighed as he tucked one arm under Lio's torso and wrapped the other around his waist; Lio had used his open arm to hold Galo’s shoulders securely. There was a comfortable silence between the two princes, both knowing that Galo would speak when he was ready and that Lio would wait patiently until then. It had always been like this for them, and sometimes Galo thought they had some weird psychic connection that neither of them knew about. Sometimes he thought they were soulmates always destined to be together, and whether that be friends or lovers, he never knew. Nor did he really care, so long as Lio had always been with him in other lifetimes.

Lio’s fingers carefully scratched the fuzzy short hair on the side of Galo’s head and he hummed sweet lullabies to fill the silence. If this kept going, Galo knew he would fall asleep. And that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, heavens no, but he really needed to talk about the situation he found himself in before he slept with it.

“ _My mother’s pregnant._ ” Galo sighed almost dreamily.

Lio’s hand paused momentarily, but continued to move. That was the only indication of surprise he gave. 

“ _Congratulations._ ” He replied. “ _But you don’t sound so happy about it._ ” 

“ _I am! I swear I’m super duper extra happy!_ ” Galo groaned. He buried his face in Lio’s neck again, unknowing of how Lio's heart rate spiked. “ _It’s just… She wants to go to Fallax next week. The queen there said she wanted to have tea and possibly make amends of what King Kray has done._ ” Galo felt Lio’s free hand curl into a fist. “ _I don’t like King Kray. I don’t like him at all. And my instincts are telling me to keep my mother here because something bad is going to happen to her._ ” 

Lio uncurled his fist, and gave Galo’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. 

" _My intuition has never let me down before, and I’m praying that I’ll be wrong this time because if I let my mother go without me or maman or extra guards and something bad happens to her…_ ” Galo felt himself choking up. Saying how he felt out loud was much more intense than just feeling it. His voice cracked when he spoke again, “ _It would be my fault for not warning her._ ”

Lio could tell how much Galo had been struggling with his own thought process, and knew his intuition and instincts were superhuman. Lio grabbed Galo’s cheeks to lift his head from his neck. Blue met pink, and that’s when the dam broke. 

Galo felt tears prick his eyes, and they stung when they spilled over his waterline. Lio gave a sympathetic look that he has never shown to anyone else but Galo. The tears wouldn’t stop, they couldn’t. They just kept coming and coming until Galo felt like he couldn’t breathe, and when Lio started wiping them away, he felt even more well up. His hands were shaking and he felt his breathing begin to get faster as he tried to calm himself down. It was quite rare for either of them to cry like this but whenever it happened, the other was always there to fix it. 

“ _Breathe with me._ ” Lio finally said. 

He took a deep, long inhale through his nose, and Galo tried to follow. His breath hitched a couple times, but he was doing the best he could. When Lio exhaled through his mouth, so did Galo. They sat there breathing with one another until Galo was able to breathe steadily again.

“ _There you go._ ” Lio thumbed away the last of Galo’s tears and used his own shirt to clean up the dried streaks on his cheeks. “ _You should tell your mother how you feel._ ” He whispered. 

“ _I want to but… I know she would still go to make everyone happy._ ” Galo sighed. Lio couldn’t help but frown, he’s right.

“ _At least tell your maman, and have her go with her. They’ll be safer that way._ ” Lio rubbed Galo’s back as he spoke. “ _Send all the extra guards you think she’ll need and I’ll send some of my own too._ ” The more he talked, the more he could feel Galo’s muscles relax. “ _She’s going to be okay, I promise._ ” The words felt heavy on his tongue, but Lio would do anything to make Galo feel better again.

Something about the last sentence Lio said somehow made Galo feel even worse, but he didn’t know why. Everything in his body was screaming to go beg his mother to stay home this time and to make sure she was safe, but he knew that he was overreacting. He knew Lio was right, and that they could do everything in their power to protect her. Being so untrusting of Fallax was warranted, but if Galo continued to express that to his mother, he would be shut down and have his worry brushed off. 

Galo sniffled, and nodded, “ _Yeah… Yeah._ ” 

“ _Do you want to go with her?_ ” 

Galo nodded, then shook his head, paused, then nodded again slowly.

“ _You wanted to come see me, didn’t you._ ” Lio lovingly pushed some hair out of Galo’s face. Galo flushed with embarrassment, but nodded once more. 

“ _Do you want me to come with you two to Fallax?_ ” 

Galo’s eyes widened and it was obvious that was something he didn’t even think could be an option for him. He sprung up to his knees, grabbing one of Lio’s hands with both of his.

“ _Would you really?_ ” He asked quietly.

Lio could only laugh as he sat up. He squeezed Galo’s hands reassuringly.

“ _Of course I would._ ” 

That was all it took for Galo to tackle Lio back down in a giant bear hug. Lio couldn’t help but start laughing into his shoulder as he hugged back as tightly as he could. Galo felt so relieved that he almost started crying again and he violently sniffled, making Lio laugh even harder. 

—

Not soon after, Galo’s face was nestled into Lio’s chest with his arms wrapped firmly around his small waist. One of Lio’s hands had been playing with the blue locks and the other was placed flat on Galo’s back; his legs were wrapped loosely around Galo’s torso and Galo let his lower half sprawl out across the bed. The sheets were folded and crumpled beneath them long forgotten, and the blankets were barely even covering Galo’s long legs (not like they were too cold together anyways). For a moment Galo found himself almost falling asleep in Lio’s embrace, but knew there could be trouble if Lio snuck out, again, without telling anyone besides Gueira and maybe Aina as soon as he got there. 

“ _Lio?_ ” Galo nudged his chest with his nose.

“ _Hm?_ ” Lio hummed back. 

“ _Do you plan to go back home in the morning?_ ” 

“ _Mhm._ ”

“ _Do your parents know at least?_ ” 

“ _Mmmhm._ ” 

Galo felt a giggle and a snort escape him. He tilted his head up to see if Lio was even fully awake or not, and was met with his half-lidded fuschia eyes. They were glittering in the dim lighting of his room; swirling around constantly with an emotion Galo couldn't identify in his sleepy haze. The corner of Lio’s eyes crinkled with a tired smile. 

“ _Okay… What about Gueira?_ ” Galo asked. 

“ _Left as soon as I came inside._ ” Lio replied. 

Galo couldn’t help but reach up to caress his porcelain-like cheek when there were no other questions left to ask. The two had always been touchy-feely with one another, from holding hands, to cuddling, to kisses on the cheeks and noses and foreheads, and moments like this, where Galo took a bold chance to be intimate. Without kissing Lio, unfortunately. That was something Galo was a little too frightened to do. However, there was something that always compelled Galo to do more, to push their boundaries, their relationship that was teetering between platonic and romantic. He felt that he should in his soul, but would always let his nerves get the best of him in the end. Sometimes, when Lio looked at him like this, he was sure the feelings were mutual, but then his stomach would knot and churn and he would retract all too fast.

A rush of pink arose underneath Galo’s fingertips. 

“ _You look like a piece of candy._ ” Galo had snickered, which earned his hand getting swatted away by a huffy Lio. 

“ _Oh hush!_ ” Lio’s face contorted into an all too adorable pout and Galo laughed again. He snuggled into Lio’s chest once more. 

“ _I’m glad you told someone this time. And I’m lucky to have you here with me too… I don’t think I would’ve slept otherwise._ ” 

Lio sighed, lifting Galo’s face and pressing his forehead to his. “ _I had a feeling you needed company. You know I’m always happy to help, kid._ ” He pinched his cheek playfully. 

“ _Hey!!_ ” Galo whined. “ _You’re only older than me by a month, you can’t hold that over me forever!_ ” 

“ _Watch me._ ” Lio said, almost challengingly, and that led Galo whining even more.

Somehow, the two princes ended up rough housing and arguing over who’s older and who’s taller, who’s stronger and who had better precision. Their score was thirty three to thirty four when they wrestled; but who was winning and who was losing was yet another argument they bickered about despite being tuckered out. Galo had no idea what time it was, but when he glanced out his glass balcony doors, he saw that the moon had risen high above them. 

Galo and Lio ended up in the same cuddling position as before, and as soon as their good nights were muttered, they were fast asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for the read!  
> my friend caelum helped me beta read and edit this, i am eternally grateful for that dude
> 
> also, check me out on twitter >> @/ogamism  
> 🖤


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